Spinal orthoses are used to treat a variety of conditions associated with the skeletal structure, including such conditions as osteoporosis, back injuries, chest injuries and spinal deformities, by applying pressure to selected positions along the wearer's spine, abdomen and torso. There are different types of spinal orthoses typically categorized by the vertebral level intended for treatment. Spinal orthoses include the sacral orthosis (SO), lumbosacral orthosis (LSO), and the thoraccolumbosacral or thoracic lumbar sacaral orthosis (“TLSO”).
The TLSO is designed to provide support and immobilization of the thoracic and lumbar regions following various traumatic injuries or surgical procedures. Indications for use of a TLSO include post-surgical immobilization, herniated disc, spinal stenosis which occurs when the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves, spondylolisthesis which occurs due to anterior displacement of a vertebra or the vertebral column in relation to the vertebrae below, spondylolysis or defects of the vertebra, compression fractures, and degenerative spinal pathologies such as osteoporosis.
A variety of different types of TLSO are known in the art. Many TLSO may include flexion control, sagittal control, saggital-coronal control, and triplanar control such that as a person attempts right or left rotation of the thoracic spine, counterforces from the thoracic band and the subclavicular extension limit motion. There are both commercially available TLSO products, and custom-fabricated TLSO types constructed typically from a rigid thermoplastic to form a body jacket.
While either commercially available or custom orthoses devices exist, many of these orthoses are found to be uncomfortable to the wearer and difficult to apply. With commercially available TLSO products, some have the tendency to poorly fit the contours of the wearer, including the spine, which results in an ill-fitting TLSO and ineffectively supports the spine. Many TLSO types, particularly custom-fabricated body jackets, are poorly ventilated and lack sufficient padding. They also lack versatility to enable step-up or step-down treatment of the wearer during the course of treatment. Furthermore, many TLSO products and custom orthoses are not adaptable to provide different forms of control, and are limited to a single type of control.